Just a few days after it was announced the Vancouver Whitecaps would be taking on Inter Miami in the Concacaf Champions Cup semi-final, tickets for the Vancouver leg of the competition skyrocketed into the thousands of dollars zone.
Tickets for the April 24 game originally were sold on April 10 and 11, for $42 to $132 (plus fees). The game at BC Place (which holds more than 54,000 people for sports events) quickly sold out.
By Monday, April 14, the resale market was the only place to buy tickets, at inflated prices.
As of publication, the cheapest tickets available are about $200 (though a handful are selling for $156). Those tickets first sold for $42.
Many tickets are selling for much more, with a few on the TicketMaster site listed for more than $2,000 and one set of four listed at more than $4,000 each (after fees). Originally, those tickets sold for $132.
Over on SeatGeek, a pair of tickets is listed for more than $20,000 each after fees, though several nearby seats are selling for about $260. On StubHub, the peak is $12,600.
Will Messi play in Vancouver?
The hype before the game appears similar to the last time Inter Miami played in Vancouver.
Almost exactly a year ago, the two teams were scheduled to play a highly anticipated match as part of the MLS regular season; it was due to be Messi's Vancouver debut.
Tickets were selling for thousands at that time as well, but just a couple of days before the game, it was announced Messi (and other Inter Miami stars) wouldn't make the trip to B.C.
While it still drew a massive crowd to BC Place, many were disappointed at having spent hundreds, if not thousands, on tickets and trips to Vancouver for a game without the biggest name in the sport.
Soccer tickets that aren't hugely expensive
For those who are fans of soccer at BC Place but are looking for lower prices, the Vancouver Rise game, which launches the new Northern Super League (a brand new all-Canadian professional women's soccer league) on Wednesday, April 16, has tickets for under $50.
Meanwhile, the next Whitecaps home game, on Saturday, May 3, has tickets starting at $32.
For those who really want to see the Whitecaps and Inter Miami, the second leg of the Concacaf Champions Cup semi-final takes place April 30. Tickets start at $110, but the game is in Florida.
